EP 27 865 A1 discloses switching out and switching in at least one cylinder of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine in pregiven operating states of the vehicle or the engine (that is, interrupting the metering of fuel to the cylinder and resuming the metering of fuel). In this known arrangement, the position of an electrically actuable throttle flap is shifted abruptly to compensate the torque change, which is generated because of switching the cylinder out, in order to maintain the torque essentially constant which is outputted by the engine. In this known arrangement, the switching in and switching out of the cylinders can be perceived by the driver notwithstanding the change of the throttle flap position as a consequence of the slowness of the air intervention inherent to the system.